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Monday, March 30, 2009

This past Saturday, March 28, my husband, son and I participated in Earth Hour. For the time between 8:30 and 9:30 pm local time, we turned off our computers, lights, and televisions as part of a global vote to support our beautiful planet and to send a message to the powers that be that we must do something to stem the tide of climate change. Participation has grown since the event's 2007 beginnings in Sydney, Australia, from 2.2 million homes, to 50 million in 2008, with a 2009 goal of 1 billion people voicing their concern by switching off the power. For more about Earth Hour and some great photographs from that night around the world, visit http://www.earthhour.org.

Though some may say that turning off the lights for one hour is merely a drop in the energy usage bucket and is purely symbolic, we would argue that the experience was deeper, for it reminded us of the peace - both physical and emotional, that is missing in our daily lives; peace and quiet that is crowded out by the constant drone of machines, the hum of computers, the noise of radios and televisions, and the glare of artificial lights that keep us awake much longer than our bodies can handle. It's been noted that people slept an average of 10 hours before the widespread usage of electric lights. Now we are reduced to about 6 or 7 hours of rest, which is far less than we need to stay healthy.

So what did we do during that one hour of darkness on Saturday evening? Well my son freely elected to turn off his computer (which is on almost constantly!) and read by flashlight in his room. My husband and I sat on the family room couch, snugly under a handmade blanket, a candle's warm glow lighting the room, homemade brownies on the coffee table, and we talked. We also listened. We listened to the lack of sound. We relished the quiet and we felt the peace of technology's absence. We felt the natural, sleepy rhythm of the night as it was long ago. In fact, we lingered this way beyond the one hour, enjoying the respite from our usual routine.

We wish we could say that the rest of the neighborhood joined in the event, but, alas, house lights across the street still blazed and dampened the full effect of the evening. But even if you or our neighbors missed Earth Hour, there is still time to give it a whirl. We'd encourage everyone to turn off all the lights and machines at least one night (maybe even once a month) to discover the pleasant effects of shutting off the modern world and tuning in to the natural one - and to save a little energy too.

Here are some suggestions for how to spend your own "Earth Hour" whenever you want to try it.

First, take a walk outside under the moon and stars. Breathe in the fresh night air. Listen to the sounds of nature in the darkness.

After you have finished delving deep into your inner self, you might want to jot down a few of the inspirations that came to you. If you are a writer, now would be a good time to let your creativity flow onto paper.

There's nothing like the gentle craft of knitting or crochet to calm the spirit after a busy day. Now is a good time to make something with that special yarn you bought and put in the closet for "when you have time."Spin Del Skeins Hand Spun Yarnsfrom The Knotty Sheep

Make your lights-out "Earth Hour" a family affair with board games, cards, or drawing and sketching. Adults, this is your chance to play with crayons again! Sing a song, play an instrument, and celebrate being together.

No matter when you decide to turn out the lights, or what you do during your electricity-free hour, you will reap the benefits of slowing down and enlightening your inner landscape with a break from the modern world. Your carbon footprint will shrink a little too.

16 comments:

Excellent post Liv, thank you! Indeed I remember when we lived in Ireland why out in the country you could step outside your door at night and gaze up into the sky, just about touching the glittering sequins that twinkled back. Also, the wonderful sound of silence with only the odd bleating of newborn lambs or the muffled chewing of the cud from the cows in the field next door. We have lost so much in our modern day lives, it is important to step back and listen.

Thank you Liv for a wonderful blog. We all need to be reminded of the need for conservation and theneed for peace in our lives and in the world.I love how you integrated the work of our memberswith your thoughts. Thanks for including mycollage. I always look forward to reading the blogsduring the week.

Really great blog, so interesting. It was like taking a walk through nature's environment with you. Thank you for reminding us of all we can be doing to help save the environment. You couldn't have picked more perfect choices.

fil, you know I love this feature and what an honor to have one of my eco items included. Thank you. I love your choices and here's our lights out tale...

We played Scrabble and drank tea by candlelight and played Name That Tune. Evan noticed, like you, that the neighbors seemed oblivious. All the more reason for us to do it more often. Scout loved it and wants to do it on a regular basis. We miss the darkness and privacy we had up in NH.

Oops...I'm on Scout's computer...turned mine off for the day to save energy and have some creative time! How timely. Thanks, fil!